Torque support for a valve lock

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a torque support for a valve lock ( 5 ) in order to prevent a rotation of the lock with respect to the valve ( 1 ), wherein a connection housing ( 8 ) adjoins the valve lock and at least one boom ( 9, 9   a ) carried by the connection housing rests against the valve housing in the pivoted-out end position. Similarly, the torque support can also be connected to the valve housing and the boom can rest against the connection housing, or the connection housing is integrated in the valve lock.

The invention relates to a torque support for a valve lock in order toprevent a rotation of the lock with respect to the valve.

Valve lock systems perform the task of preventing the valve from beingactuated in an unauthorized manner so that an unauthorized change to thestate of the valve is precluded.

These locking systems are therefore inserted as a separate componentbetween the valve and the valve actuator, wherein this separatecomponent substantially comprises or impinges on the interfacing meansbetween the valve actuator, e.g. a hand wheel or a hand lever, and thevalve spindle.

Valve locking systems or respectively the torque supports thereof andadapters for manually operated valves are required for adapting to thewide range of valves in various designs which are being used. Adaptersof the locking systems have to be adapted to the different spindleshapes. The normal case is one where the end position can be set in saidlocking systems. The positions “Valve completely open” and “valvecompletely closed” are frequently selected as the end position, whereinhowever other valve positions are also possible.

The interface between the valve spindle and the actual lock of thelocking system occurs, e.g., thereby via a hollow shaft, on the outsideof which teeth for a retaining pawl are situated and in the end regionsof which receptacles for adapters are located, which on the one hand areused to connect the spindle and on the other hand are used to connectthe hand wheel or the actuating lever.

Valve locking systems are also used everywhere, where an operationalsequence for the valves contributes to an increase in the personal andfacilities' safety. Such facilities frequently include off shore oilrigs, chemical plants and oil refineries, those of the gas industry aswell as nuclear power plants.

A torque support generally serves the purpose of preventing a rotationof the valve lock with respect to the valve. This is also important forthe reason of securing the end-position setting of said valve lock. Inthe locked state, the torque support must intercept the torque during anunauthorized attempt to actuate the valve so that the entire lock on thevalve cannot be rotated.

An arrangement, in which a robust, heavy web is provided, is therebyknown from the European patent publication EP 0 942 215 A1. Said web isfixed to the valve lock overlaps the hand wheel and mounts to twobrackets beneath said hand wheel, which encompass the valve orrespectively the valve housing thereof like a clamp. These two clampsare screwed to one another and have to be adapted to the valve housingor the valve lever. This version is complicated to install and destroysthe design of the lock per se.

An arrangement is known from the WIPO patent publication WO 2009/026 905A1, in which an adapter ring for connecting the torque support to thevalve lock and two arresting rings that are located inside the adapterring are provided, each arresting ring carrying a counter bearing platethat extends downward. The counter bearing plates only extend over partof the circumference of the arresting rings and can thus overlap eitherthe pipe containing the valve slide or the sealing means orcorresponding devices on the valve housing, by which the rotation of thevalve lock is prevented. A plurality of locking screws is necessary andprovided in said adapter ring for rotationally fixing the arrestingrings. This arrangement is individually adapted to each valve design andcan therefore not be manufactured in a prefabricated manner and requiresa plurality of components comprising screws, tools and the like forinstallation.

A locking device for valves became known from the American patentpublication U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,555, which is not comparable with thelocking system according to the European patent publication EP 0 942 215A1 that can be actuated with a key. In this known apparatus, the leveractuating the valve slide is fixed in both end positions thereof, i.e.in the completely open position or in the completely closed position, bymeans of two overlapping brackets, which can be connected to one anotherand secured via padlocks. This system is only operational if the twopadlocks are taken off, the two brackets are removed and the actuatinglever for the valve slide is actuated. In this case, a connectiontherefore does not exist between the valve spindle and the actual lockof the locking system, but rather the locking system referenced heremust be completely dismantled if the actuating lever is to be operated.In these arrangements, it is not ensured that only a fixed operationalsequence of the different valves to be actuated can be executed.

Valve locking systems normally work, as can be seen in the Europeanpatent publication EP 0 942 215 A1, with a plurality of locks and keysand the valve locks can only be actuated if both keys are in the lock.The keys are thereby individually coded. A key having incorrect codingcannot be inserted into the lock or rather cannot release said lock. Therespective keys can only be withdrawn if the valve is located in acertain position. If one key is withdrawn, the other key is then caughtin the lock. It is usually the case that the key can only be withdrawnif the valve is completely open, and the other key can only be removedif the valve is completely closed. The arrangement known from theAmerican patent publication U.S. Pat. No. 5,806,55 does not fulfill thisrequirement.

The primary aim of the present invention is to provide a torque support,which results in low assembly costs, facilitates an economically pricedproduction and can be used with different types of valves.

This aim underlying the invention is met by the inventive teaching ofthe main claim.

Advantageous embodiments are described in the dependent claims.

In other words, a connection housing is provided which adjoins the valvelock or is disposed in the same and comprises at least one boom capableof pivoting. Said boom is fixed pivotably to the connection housing andcan be lifted upwards against the valve housing, wherein a lockingdevice prevents said boom from pivoting backwards.

Similarly, it is however also possible for the connection housing to beconnected to the valve housing and the boom can rest against the valvelock when required.

Provision is made according to the invention for the boom (s) withrespect to the pivoting motion thereof to be connected under a preloadto the connection housing, wherein in case of operation the pivotingmotion of the boom(s) is facilitated only in one direction by theinstallation of a locking device. This ensures that the valve lock cannot rotate with respect to the valve housing because the booms eitherrest on bumps of said valve housing or overlap the pipe equipped withthe valve on one or both sides, or if the connection housing is attachedto the valve housing, the booms rest against an oval or polygonal valvelock.

In this case, the locking device can be formed by spring loaded ratchetdisks, which designed as toothed lock washers are carried on the onehand by the boom and on the other hand by a compression element or elsethe locking device is formed by a ratchet, which allows movement in onedirection but blocks movement in the opposite direction.

According to one exemplary embodiment of the invention, the boom, i.e.therefore the bearing part of said boom, has one or a plurality ofboreholes and the connection housing one or a plurality of connectingdisks, which correspond to the head section of the bearing part, whereinboreholes are likewise provided in said connecting disks. The boreholescan also lie on different pitch circle diameters and are intended toreceive pins, which now fixedly connect said boom to the connectionhousing. Said boom is thereby brought into the locking position and thenpinned to said connection housing, wherein a fine adjustment can takeplace due to the different pitch dimensions for the boreholes.

The boom or booms carries at the end thereof a spacer element, which cancompensate for small diameter differences in the valve housing. Thesespacer elements can be push fit onto the booms or else said spacerelements can also be mounted eccentrically on the end of said booms andin so doing bridge certain clearance differences.

The boom itself can be of one-piece or multiple-part configuration.

In addition, the option exists for the booms to carry tensioning bandsso that when connected to the connection housing said booms areadditionally fixed by the tensioning bands.

The locking device is preferably provided in the connection housing andsafely positioned here against manipulation, i.e. access to the lockingdevice is only possible with the use of certain special tools. Provisioncan also be made for no access to be provided in that the locking deviceis riveted. Access is then only possible by destroying said device.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention are explained below with the aidof the drawings. In so doing, the drawings show in

FIG. 1 an arrangement of the valve and valve lock comprising theattached connection housing and the booms resting against the valvehousing, in

FIG. 2 in larger scale the mounting of the boom in the connectionhousing, in

FIG. 3 a modified embodiment of the locking device in locked position,in

FIG. 4 a further modified embodiment of the locking device and in

FIG. 5 a section through the arrangement according to FIG. 4corresponding to the sectional depiction in FIG. 2.

In FIG. 1, a valve is depicted, which is inserted into a pipe 2, whereinthe valve slide 3, which closes the pipe 2, can be seen in the drawing.Said valve slide 3 is connected to a hand wheel 4 via a gear assemblydesignated with the reference numeral 28. Said valve slide 3 can beactuated via the hand wheel 4. A valve lock 5 is inserted between saidhand wheel and said gear assembly, said valve lock facilitating orpreventing the actuation of the actual valve 1 in a known manner per sevia the keys 6 and 7.

A connection housing 8, which pursuant to the drawing in FIG. 1 carriesa boom 9, adjoins the valve lock 5 in a torque-proof manner, whereinsaid boom is pivotably disposed on the connection housing 8 and can restagainst the polygonal wall of the valve housing 31 when a spacingelement 10 is inserted between said boom and said valve housing. Anidentical boom 9 can, of course, be provided on the back side of theactual valve 1 depicted in FIG. 1. The mounting of the boom or booms 9in said connection housing 8 can be seen more clearly in FIG. 2.

A connection housing part 8 is depicted in FIG. 2, which receives ashaft 15, which traverses a bearing part 16 of the boom 9. The frontalregions of the bearing part 16 of said boom 9 are provided with atoothing 12, which works together with the toothing 12 a of compressionelements 17 and 18, which are likewise disposed on the shaft 15 but in amanner which allows them to be displaceable in the axial direction ofsaid shaft 15. The toothings 12, 12 a form a locking device 11. Thecompression elements 17 and 18 are mounted in a torque-proof manner inthe connection housing 8 by means of the groove and spring arrangement30 and are pressed against the toothing 12 of the bearing part 16 bysprings 19 and 20, which are supported on the other end on the inside ofend caps 21 and 22, which close the opening provided in the connectionhousing part 8. Said end caps 21 and 22 are fixed in a tamper-proofmanner by end cap 27 in said connection housing part 8 so that anunwanted manipulation of the device, which allows the pivoting motion inonly one direction, by unauthorized persons is not possible.

Due to the previously described device, a pivoting motion of the boomsor boom 9 is only possible in one direction, which is directed towardsthe valve housing 31, whereas a pivoting motion in the oppositedirection is prevented by the toothings 12 and 12 a. In addition, saidtoothings 12 and 12 a, that is to say these toothed lock washers, causesaid boom 9 to be placed against the valve housing with a certainpreload. Should certain clearances arise in this case, it should benoted that the spacer elements 10 can compensate for them, particularlyif they are eccentrically mounted.

In FIG. 3, a ratcheting assembly is depicted, in which a ratchet 23 ispivotably mounted at 24 and can be lifted against the action of a returnspring 25. Said ratchet 23 works together with a gear wheel 26, whichhas a corresponding contact surface for said ratchet 23. When the gearwheel 26 moves in the direction of arrow F, the tooth of the gear wheel26 can slide up on the angular face of said ratchet 23 and lift saidratchet against the action of the spring 25, whereas in the case of abackward movement, i.e. a movement against the direction of arrow F, thetooth of said gear wheel 26 rests against a corresponding projection ofsaid ratchet 23 and prevents a backward movement. Said gear wheel 26 canthereby be configured on the bearing part 16 of the boom 9 and thecomponent provided with said ratchet 23 is connected to the connectionhousing part 8.

Identical components as in the previous figures are in the embodimentdepicted in FIGS. 4 and 5 and have the same reference numerals but areprovided with the additional letter a, e.g. the valve lock 5 a with thekeys 6 a and 7 a.

The embodiment shown in this exemplary embodiment is integrated into thevalve lock 5 a, which in so doing has connecting disks 35, which restagainst the front faces of the bearing part 16 a. These connecting disks35 have boreholes 34 and the front faces of said bearing part 16 a alsohave boreholes 33, which jointly coincide with the boreholes 35. Lockingpins 36 or screws, rivets or the like can be inserted in thesecoinciding boreholes, whereby the boom 9 a can be fixed in the lockingposition. The connecting disks 35 have in this case a certain number ofboreholes, whereby said boreholes can also lie on different pitch circlediameters.

A fine adjustment can occur due to the different pitches for theboreholes. The shaft 15 explained with the aid of FIG. 2, which isdenoted in this embodiment as shaft 15 a, thereby traverses the bearingpart 16 a and the connecting disks 35.

The torque support according to the invention represents a morecost-effective solution than the individually adapted torque supportsfrom prior art. By means of the design of the torque support accordingto the invention, said torque support can be individually adapted to themost varied valve sizes and valve forms

The torque support according to the invention incurs lower assemblycosts, is cheaper to manufacture and is very stable depending on thedesign.

Whereas a one-piece boom is explained in the previous description, saidboom can, of course, also be of multiple-part configuration in ordertherefore to facilitate an individual adaptation to different valveforms.

1. Torque support for a valve lock (5), which is inserted between anactuating device (4) and a valve slide (3) and can be locked by means ofkeys (6, 7), in order to prevent a rotation of the valve lock (5) withrespect to the valve housing, characterized by at least one boom (9, 9a) which is carried by the valve (1) in an indirectly or directlypivotable manner and in the pivoted-out end position prevents a rotationof the valve lock with respect to the valve, and by a locking device(11, 14, 32) which prevents the pivoting motion of the boom or booms (9,9 a) back into the initial starting position.
 2. Torque supportaccording to claim 1, characterized by a connection housing (8) whichaccommodates the locking device (11, 14, 32) and can be fixed to thevalve lock (5) or the valve housing (31).
 3. Torque support according toclaim 1, characterized in that the connection housing (8, 8 a) and thelocking device (11, 14, 32) are integrated in the valve lock (5, 5 a) orin the valve housing (31).
 4. Torque support according to claim 1, 2, or3, characterized in that the boom or booms (9) with respect to thepivoting motion thereof is connected under preload to the connectionhousing (8).
 5. Torque support according to claim 1, 2 or 3,characterized in that the locking device (11) comprises spring loadedratchet disks having toothings (12, 12 a).
 6. Torque support accordingto claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the locking device (11) isformed by a ratcheting assembly (14).
 7. Torque support according toclaims 1, 2, 3, and 5, 6, characterized in that the locking device (11,14) is disposed in the connection housing (8).
 8. Torque supportaccording to claim 7, characterized in that the locking device (11) isdisposed in a tamper-proof manner in the connection housing (8) or inthe valve housing (31) using closure means (27).
 9. Torque supportaccording to one or a plurality of the preceding claims, characterizedby one or a plurality of boreholes (33) in the head portion of thebearing part (16 a) of the boom (9 a) and one or a plurality ofboreholes (34) in one or a plurality of connecting disks (35) of theconnection housing (8 a) as well as by pins (36) or screws or rivets orthe like which can be inserted into said boreholes (33 and 34). 10.Torque support according to one or a plurality of the preceding claims,characterized in that the boom or booms (9) carry spacing elements (10)on the ends thereof.
 11. Torque support according to claim 10,characterized in that the spacing elements (10) can be push fit onto thebooms.
 12. Torque support according to claim 10, characterized in thatthe spacing elements (10) are mounted eccentrically on the end of thebooms (9).
 13. Torque support according to one or a plurality of theclaims 1-12, characterized in that the booms (9) are designed as onepiece.
 14. Torque support according to one or a plurality of thepreceding claims 1-12, characterized in that the boom or booms (9) areof multiple-part configuration.
 15. Torque support according to one or aplurality of the preceding claims, characterized in that the booms (9)carry tensioning bands.